Bedstead-fastening



UNITED STATES AENT OFFICE.

MATTHEW ELDER, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO.

BEDSTEAD-FASTENING.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 7,035, dated January 22, 1850.

T0 all whom t may concer/rt Be it known that I, MArrHEW ELDER, of Mansfield, in the county of Richland and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Beadstead-Fastener; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a vertical section through the center of a post and a portion of a rail; Fig. 2 a perspective view of the end of a rail with a portion D, of the fastener attached thereto; Fig. 3 a plan of the front side of the portion A, of the fastener de-v tached from the post; and Fig. 4, a perspective view of the rear side of A.

Similar letters indicate like parts in all the gures.

The lines m, drawn through the Figs. 2 and 4 indicate the direction through which they are cut in the sectional Fig. l. The portion A, of the fastener that is made fast to the side of the post F, is a metallic plate of the form shown in Figs. 3, and 4; notches e, e, are formed opposite each other in the periphery of A, from one edge of each of which notches the inclined planes Z), b, commence and pass to the right and left on the rear side of the plate. Flanges a, a, project from the under side of the plate A, that bear against the post and serve to remove the plate a suiiicient distance from the post, to allow the lugs c, c, on the portion D, of the fastener that is secured to the rail, to pass freely into the notches e, e, preparatory to their being made to act upon the inclined ways b, b. I generally make use of round rails in the construction of bedsteads, and the portion D, of the fastener that is secured to the ends thereof is a short metallic tube which is let on to an oset turned at each end of the rails, and is secured by screws or nails. The point f, projecting inward from the end of D, serves as a guide in enabling the fasteners on opposite ends of a rail to be placed in proper positions opposite each other; and on the line extending from one of these points to the other, the pins are inserted that receive the cords or sacking. The outer end of the tube D, projects a sufficient distance from the end of a rail to receive the plate A, within the same; the lugs c, c, projecting inward from the outer eX- tremity of D, are inserted into the notches e, e, in the edges of t-he plate A, and then by turning the rail inward, the lugs will pass up the inclined ways b, b, and draw the end of D, firmly against the post. My invention consists in giving such forms to the respective portions of the fasteners A, D, that they can be secured to the-posts and rails of a bedstead without making a mortise in either the one or the other; thereby producing a saving of labor in the manufacture of bedsteads; and also producing economy in the use of materials by enabling the posts to be made of smaller size than they are required to be when other forms of fasteners are made use of.

Having thus fully described my improved bedstead fastener, what I claim therein as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The giving the portion D, of the fastener that is secured to the ends of a rail, a tubular shape, and such a size that the portion thereof that projects from the end of a rail will embrace the fastening plate A, that is secured to the side of a post, when this arrangement is combined with the lugs c, c, projecting inward from the extremity of D, and the notches e, e, and inclined planes b, b, on the plate A, substantially as herein set forth; by means of which the respective parts A, D, of the bedstead fastener can be secured to the posts and rails of a bedstead without forming a mortise in either the one or the other.

The above speciication signed and witnessed this 14th day of Novr., 1849.

MATTHEW ELDER.

Witnesses:

Z. C. RoBBiNs, R. W. W'iLooX. 

